Zelenskyy expresses hope for peace – the nightly update without photos

Selenskyj hopes for peace by Easter

At Easter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed the hope that there would be peace in Ukraine within a year. In his video message distributed Sunday evening, Zelenskyj expressed confidence that prayers for peace would be heard. Every Christian holiday teaches its country that evil can be conquered. “We bring the defeat of evil closer.” The Russian offensive war against the neighboring country has now been going on for more than 13 months.

Many Christians in Ukraine celebrated Easter on Sunday. However, large parts of the population follow the old calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church, which does not celebrate the feast until next Sunday. Zelensky complained that Russia had celebrated Palm Sunday — on which many Orthodox Christians celebrated Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem — with new rocket attacks on Ukraine.

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Easter rocket attacks

According to the president, a missile hit a residential building in the southern Ukraine city of Zaporizhia. A man and an 11-year-old girl were killed. “This is how a terrorist state spends Palm Sunday,” Zelenskyj said. “In this way, Russia places itself in even greater isolation from the world and from humanity.”

The head of the Kiev presidential office, Andriy Yermak, published a photo of the destroyed house on his Telegram news channel. He called the attackers “ordinary animals”. Russia has annexed the Zaporizhia region, but has no control over the regional capital.

Yermak and other members of the Ukrainian leadership wished a happy Easter to Ukrainians who, like Christians in the West, celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army Valeriy Zalushnyy said the holiday also symbolizes the victory of life over death. Zalushny thanked the Western allies who supported Ukraine with weapons and ammunition, “helping us to bring victory and the triumph of justice closer every day”.

Traditionally, Orthodox Christians in Ukraine celebrated church holidays in the same way as in neighboring Russia. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago, the public discussion intensified that the ecclesiastical calendar should also be changed from Russia.

Pope calls for peace over Easter

At the height of Easter celebrations, Pope Francis used his traditional Easter message in St. Peter’s Square to make an urgent appeal for peace. “Let us hasten to walk the paths of peace and brotherhood,” the head of the Catholic Church said on Sunday in front of about 100,000 worshipers in the forecourt of St. Peter’s Basilica. The wars and sufferings in the world made up the whole of Easter in the Vatican.

The 86-year-old appealed to trust on the most important holiday of the Catholic Church – “trust between people, between peoples and nations”. The message of Easter, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his death on the cross, is intended to illuminate the darkness that, according to the pope, the world is often enveloped.

Visibly moved, Pope Francis recalled the war in Ukraine in particular: “Help the beloved Ukrainian people towards peace and shed your Easter light on the Russian people. Comfort the wounded and those who have lost loved ones in the war, and let the prisoners return safely to their families.” He called on the international community to work to end this war and all conflicts that “stain the world with blood”.

The Stations of the Cross on Good Friday in the Colosseum also focused on refugees, victims of all kinds of violence and people at war. They spoke with messages of peace and reconciliation. For example, the peace messages were read by two young people from Ukraine and Russia. A similar gesture caused controversy last year. Criticism was also not long in coming this year: the Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See sharply criticized the text of the Russian youth.

The two reported on their experiences in view of the war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian youth told how he fled to Italy before the war. In his message, the Russian called for prayer: “Jesus, please, make sure there is peace all over the world and that we can all be brothers and sisters.”

Monday will be important

In many German cities there are again Easter marches against the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, hostilities continue in eastern Ukraine in the Donetsk region, especially around the city of Bakhmut. Western experts also believe that the strategically important city is in danger of falling. However, Ukrainian leaders have ordered every effort to prevent the city from being taken by Russian troops. (con/sda/dpa)